Local service deals are (still) the foundation of daily deals

3 years ago all deals came from merchants having a physical presence – a real location.

The restaurant that wanted more customers and the hair salons that had empty appointment sheets were all local venues.

The fact these merchants were local, combined with all the attractive marketing facets of daily deals, (big discount, need for a minimum number of buyers, temporary availability) made it almost a must have for consumers.

Trying out a restaurant for half of the price might be worth it, even if it could in the end disappoint. Purchasing a paint ball activity with your friends for a good price, sure why not.
And definitely getting cheap movie tickets, especially in China where a regular ticket goes for as much as 100 Rmb (16 USD) was and still is an instant hit.

These local deals are still very popular in China and are what distinguishes a “real” daily deal website from a regular E-commerce operation. Offering good quality local deals will be decisive in keeping and gaining market share.

The leaders in Service deals are Meituan, Dianping, Nuomi, Lashou and 55tuan.

In 2012 “Movies” and “Hotpot” deals (Chinese fondue would explain it the best) were the most popular overall.